Chianti Classico - Riserva

The Riserva Chianti Classico persuades through elegance and finesse. Sangiovese by heart with a little addition of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine ages for almost two years in French oak barrels before being bottled and aged for further 6-9 months on the bottle before release. The longer aging helps the wine to gain structure and longevity and makes it an ideal partner for any festive meal.

Harvest is always done manually and with great care to ensure only healthy and fully ripened grapes are selected and find their way into the cellar. The grapes are transported in small 15-20 kg cases to keep them in their best condition until arrival at the cellar. At the cellar the grapes are destemmed and another selection is made. The destemmed grapes are then pumped into small to medium stainless steel fermentation tanks for a cold soaking for 2-3 days before the fermentation starts. Whenever possible we let the grapes start fermentation on their own with their own indigenous yeasts. Within the first 12-18 hours we bleed off 10-15% of the juices from all Sangiovese and Merlot tanks, a process also called “Salasso”. The bled-off juice continues to ferment in a cold environment as a white wine would without any further skin contact. The outcome is a wonderful fresh and fruity Rosé. But we do not only practice the salasso method to make some great Rosé, but also to increase the skin to must ratio which brings out a higher colour concentration in the red wines.